When most people think of the Holocaust, their minds go to Nazi Germany, concentration camps, and European suffering. But what about the United States? What did Americans know? How did they respond? And why does this still matter?

The relationship between Americans and the Holocaust is complex. It’s a story of missed opportunities, evolving awareness, and the uncomfortable question of what might have been done differently. Far from being a simple tale of ignorance or apathy, it’s a layered narrative shaped by fear, politics, prejudice, and limited information.

Here are 10 facts about Americans and the Holocaust that provide a clearer picture—and challenge some common assumptions.

Many Americans knew more than we assumed

Contrary to popular belief, the Holocaust wasn’t a complete mystery to the American public during World War II. By the early 1940s, credible reports about mass killings of Jews had reached U.S. newspapers and government agencies.

In 1942, The New York Times published brief reports about the Nazis’ systematic extermination of Jews. But these articles were often buried deep in the paper, overshadowed by war coverage. While the full scale and horror of the Holocaust weren’t universally understood, there was enough known to provoke action, but that action rarely came.

The U.S. Had Strict Immigration Limits

One of the most painful truths about Americans and the Holocaust is how tightly the United States controlled immigration during the 1930s and ’40s. Despite the growing crisis in Europe, the U.S. maintained strict quotas that limited the number of refugees—especially Jews—who could enter.

The 1924 Immigration Act established these quotas and heavily favored Northern and Western European nations, with very limited slots for Jews from Eastern Europe. Between 1933 and 1945, the U.S. admitted only about 200,000 Jewish refugees, despite millions trying to flee Nazi persecution.

St. Louis was turned away

In 1939, the German ship St. Louis carried over 900 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany. They sought asylum in Cuba, then the U.S. When both denied them entry, the ship was forced to return to Europe. Many of its passengers would later die in the Holocaust. This single voyage came to symbolize American inaction and the consequences of closed doors.

Antisemitism was rampant in the U.S.

It’s uncomfortable, but essential to acknowledge: antisemitism was widespread in 1930s and 1940s America. Negative stereotypes, conspiracy theories, and outright hostility toward Jews were common in political, media, and social circles.

Public opinion surveys from the era show that many Americans viewed Jews as untrustworthy or as having “too much power.” This made it politically risky for leaders to advocate refugee resettlement. In 1941, 61% of Americans said they believed “Jews have too much power in the United States,” according to a Fortune magazine poll.

The U.S. Government suppressed some information

The U.S. State Department has been criticized for downplaying or suppressing evidence of Nazi atrocities. In some cases, diplomats failed to pass on reports or acted slowly in response to pleas for help.

It wasn’t until 1944—very late in the war—that the U.S. created the War Refugee Board, a government agency tasked with aiding victims of Nazi persecution. The U.S. had resources, intelligence, and global influence—yet bureaucratic delays and political calculations often took precedence over humanitarian action.

Public opinion was against letting in refugees

Even as the Holocaust worsened, most Americans opposed allowing more Jewish refugees into the country. A 1939 Gallup poll found that 83% of Americans opposed increasing immigration quotas to accept more refugees from Germany.

The Great Depression had left millions of Americans unemployed. People were worried about foreigners “stealing” jobs, and some held antisemitic views while pushing for isolationist politics, which made humanitarian immigration a tough sell.

American Jews were divided on how to respond

Within the American Jewish community, there was debate over how to respond to the Holocaust. Some feared that speaking out too forcefully would provoke more antisemitism at home. Others, like activist Rabbi Stephen Wise, lobbied tirelessly for government intervention.

In 1943, over 400 rabbis marched on Washington to demand U.S. action to save European Jews. President Roosevelt refused to meet with them.

The U.S. military did not prioritize bombing concentration camps

By 1944, the U.S. had aerial intelligence showing the existence of concentration camps like Auschwitz. Some Jewish leaders urged the military to bomb the rail lines leading to the camps or the gas chambers themselves.

The military declined, arguing it would divert resources from the primary war effort. This remains one of the most debated aspects of American and the Holocaust. Critics argue that bombing the camps could have slowed or disrupted the killing. Others contend it wouldn’t have made a significant difference or might have caused unintended casualties.

The war refugee board did save lives

While late to the game, the War Refugee Board (WRB), created in 1944, helped save tens of thousands of lives. It funded rescue missions, supported underground networks in Europe, and helped disseminate information about Nazi crimes.

One of its most famous operatives was Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat who saved thousands of Jews in Hungary with forged passports and safe houses, thanks in part to WRB’s backing. The WRB showed what coordinated effort could do—had it come sooner, its impact might have been even greater.

The Holocaust changed U.S. policy

After the war, the truth of the Holocaust became undeniable. Photos, survivor testimonies, and the Nuremberg Trials shocked the world—and Americans.

This led to lasting changes in U.S. immigration, refugee aid, and human rights policy. The Displaced Persons Act of 1948 allowed hundreds of thousands of European refugees, including Holocaust survivors, to enter the U.S.

The Holocaust helped galvanize postwar commitments to human rights, the founding of Israel, and international law. But these changes came only after the fact.

Americans and the Holocaust is a subject full of “what-ifs.” What if the U.S. had opened its doors earlier? What if the media had shouted louder? What if public prejudice hadn’t stood in the way?

These are hard questions—but necessary ones. While the Holocaust was primarily a European atrocity, America’s response (or lack thereof) shaped the outcomes for millions of people.

Today, this history is not just about guilt or blame. It’s about responsibility. Knowing these facts helps us understand how fear, indifference, and bureaucracy can allow unthinkable atrocities to unfold—and how nations can learn to do better.

Hollywood and the media largely ignored the Holocaust until after the War

During the war, American movies avoided depicting Jewish suffering in Nazi-occupied Europe. Hollywood feared being seen as “too Jewish” or “political.”

It wasn’t until after the war, with films like “The Diary of Anne Frank” and later documentaries, that American pop culture began to truly reckon with the Holocaust.

Bottom line:

To understand the Holocaust without understanding America’s role is to miss half the story. These aren’t just statistics—they’re warning signs. They remind us that silence is a decision. Indifference is a policy. And the cost of both is measured in lives lost.

We often look back with the benefit of hindsight, but the facts show that decisions could have been made. Doors could have opened. Lives could have been saved.

Swear by these facts. Teach them. Share them. And let them guide how we respond to injustice today. Let’s not help spread the genocide all over again!

You may also like: Childhood in Nazi Germany: An Outstanding Historical Story.